Sheriff budges on budget

Published: Friday, July 12, 2013 at 8:33 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, July 12, 2013 at 8:33 p.m.

In an apparent attempt to break the impasse with the Marion County Commission over his hefty spending request, Sheriff Chris Blair cut his budget increase in half on Friday.

Blair, who stunned county commissioners when he asked for a $17.4 million hike in early June, dropped that to $16.2 million last week and then $8.2 million Friday after commissioners emphatically rejected any budget that might result in a tax increase and asked him to return to the drawing board.

"We're trying to promote an atmosphere of cooperation with the Board of County Commissioners," Sheriff's spokesman Capt. James Pogue said Friday. "They asked us to bring our budget back, retool it and make it palatable for them. So we went back and evaluated what things we could and could not live without.

"We're in negotiations, and part of negotiating is seeing what we can do to move things forward, and we hope they can do the same," Pogue said.

The sheriff also asked for money for expenses he can't control, including increases in employee health insurance and the state retirement plan.

In the amended plan he submitted Friday, he remained steadfast in his request for 20 deputies to beef up a patrol force that he says is badly undermanned compared to most law enforcement agencies in Florida. He also left intact an increase in pay for rookie deputies, from $28,500 to $29,915.

But Blair cut elsewhere. He reduced his request for new corrections officers from 20 to 15 and corrections assistants from 10 to 5.

An across-the-board pay increase is also gone. He is now asking for an increase of 50 cents an hour only for employees below the rank of lieutenant. And he cut the number of new patrol cars from 100 to 50.

However, Blair's amended budget is still $75.3 million, or about 12.3 percent higher than the current year's spending plan, and it remains to be seen whether commissioners will grant him any increase at all.

On Tuesday, the two sides met face to face and neither budged. Blair insisted that all his requests were necessary to shore up a department that has been starved of needed funding for years. But commissioners said they were not ready to levy any tax increases on a community that is just beginning to rebound from a historic recession.

On Friday, Commission Chairwoman Kathy Bryant said that while she appreciated Blair's willingness to compromise, his cuts may not be enough.

"Our community is just starting to see some recovery, and while we are starting to see that, the citizens don't want to pay more in taxes, but they also can't afford it," Bryant said.

As to whether the commission might try to meet the sheriff part way, Bryant said, "If we can do something, we will. We want to support our law enforcement community, but we're already looking for dollars to fill a hole in the budget."

Commissioner Stan McClain, who was appointed to head a committee that will go through the sheriff's budget and recommend cuts, said Blair's new budget, "is still a long way from where we need to be.

"We'd still have to increase taxes, and I think the board has been very clear about where we are with that."

<p>In an apparent attempt to break the impasse with the Marion County Commission over his hefty spending request, Sheriff Chris Blair cut his budget increase in half on Friday.</p><p>Blair, who stunned county commissioners when he asked for a $17.4 million hike in early June, dropped that to $16.2 million last week and then $8.2 million Friday after commissioners emphatically rejected any budget that might result in a tax increase and asked him to return to the drawing board.</p><p>"We're trying to promote an atmosphere of cooperation with the Board of County Commissioners," Sheriff's spokesman Capt. James Pogue said Friday. "They asked us to bring our budget back, retool it and make it palatable for them. So we went back and evaluated what things we could and could not live without.</p><p>"We're in negotiations, and part of negotiating is seeing what we can do to move things forward, and we hope they can do the same," Pogue said.</p><p>Blair's initial budget asked for money for 20 additional patrol deputies, 20 corrections officers, 20 corrections assistants, 100 cars and computer equipment, as well as money to increase the department's depleted contingency fund and raises for all sheriff's employees.</p><p>The sheriff also asked for money for expenses he can't control, including increases in employee health insurance and the state retirement plan.</p><p>In the amended plan he submitted Friday, he remained steadfast in his request for 20 deputies to beef up a patrol force that he says is badly undermanned compared to most law enforcement agencies in Florida. He also left intact an increase in pay for rookie deputies, from $28,500 to $29,915.</p><p>But Blair cut elsewhere. He reduced his request for new corrections officers from 20 to 15 and corrections assistants from 10 to 5.</p><p>An across-the-board pay increase is also gone. He is now asking for an increase of 50 cents an hour only for employees below the rank of lieutenant. And he cut the number of new patrol cars from 100 to 50.</p><p>However, Blair's amended budget is still $75.3 million, or about 12.3 percent higher than the current year's spending plan, and it remains to be seen whether commissioners will grant him any increase at all.</p><p>On Tuesday, the two sides met face to face and neither budged. Blair insisted that all his requests were necessary to shore up a department that has been starved of needed funding for years. But commissioners said they were not ready to levy any tax increases on a community that is just beginning to rebound from a historic recession.</p><p>On Friday, Commission Chairwoman Kathy Bryant said that while she appreciated Blair's willingness to compromise, his cuts may not be enough.</p><p>"Our community is just starting to see some recovery, and while we are starting to see that, the citizens don't want to pay more in taxes, but they also can't afford it," Bryant said.</p><p>As to whether the commission might try to meet the sheriff part way, Bryant said, "If we can do something, we will. We want to support our law enforcement community, but we're already looking for dollars to fill a hole in the budget."</p><p>Commissioner Stan McClain, who was appointed to head a committee that will go through the sheriff's budget and recommend cuts, said Blair's new budget, "is still a long way from where we need to be.</p><p>"We'd still have to increase taxes, and I think the board has been very clear about where we are with that."</p>